{"id":571637,"date":"2026-06-01T19:41:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T00:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=571637"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T00:41:07","slug":"president-trump-makes-his-mark-on-tribal-gaming-agency-with-new-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/06\/01\/president-trump-makes-his-mark-on-tribal-gaming-agency-with-new-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"President Trump makes his mark on tribal gaming agency with new appointment"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Billy<\/a>
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland is seen on a video screen as he addresses the National Congress of American Indians executive council winter session in Washington, D.C., on February 10, 2026. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
President Trump makes his mark on tribal gaming agency with new appointment<\/div>\r\n
Monday, June 1, 2026<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Trump administration’s highest-ranking Indian Country official is serving double duty with a new appointment at the federal agency overseeing the $43.9 billion tribal gaming industry.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAssistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William “Billy” Kirkland has joined the National Indian Gaming Commission<\/a> (NIGC). He will be serving a three-year term at the agency, according to a news release<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThe Trump administration supports tribal sovereignty and economic development,\u201d Kirkland said in the June 1 news release. \u201cGaming is an important contributor to the economic success of many tribes.\u201d \r\n

<\/P>\r\n \u201cI look forward to working alongside my fellow commissioners and NIGC staff to support a strong regulatory framework that upholds the integrity and success of Indian gaming,\u201d Kirkland added.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAccording to the news release, Kirkland formally joined the NIGC on May 29. A notice of his position was first published in the Federal Register on April 27<\/a>, with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum calling him “well qualified” to serve as an Indian gaming regulator.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Mr. Kirkland’s career in public service includes serving in the Executive Office of the President as special assistant to the President and deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs,” the notice signed by Secretary Burgum stated.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“In this role, he led tribal engagement efforts for the White House, revitalized the White House Council on Native American Affairs Policy Agenda, and coordinated the first-ever Oval Office recognition of Navajo Code Talkers,” the notice continued. “His work advanced collaboration among federal, tribal, state, and local leaders, strengthening government-to-government relationships nationwide.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\nKirkland, a citizen of the Navajo Nation<\/a>, joins Sharon Avery as the only other member of the NIGC. She too welcomed her new colleague.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n \u201cWe are pleased to have Mr. Kirkland join the commission,\u201d Avery, a citizen of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe<\/a>, said in NIGC’s news release. \u201cHis background and commitment to public service will strengthen the agency\u2019s work and strengthen our ongoing support to tribal gaming regulators.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAvery was appointed to the NIGC during the administration of former president Joe Biden, a Democrat. She joined the agency for a three-year term in May 2024 as an Associate Commissioner and ended up serving as “acting” chair for nearly 20 months following the departure earlier that year of E. Sequoyah Simermeyer<\/a>, who had served in the U.S. Senate-confirmed post for more than four years — a period that included the devastating COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAt the onset of the pandemic in 2020, tribes shut down their casinos to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Their revenues suffered greatly as a result, with Simermeyer announcing a decline in revenues<\/a> to levels that hadn’t been seen in two decades. \r\n

<\/P>\r\nTribal gaming revenues have since rebounded. Last July, the NIGC announced a record $43.9 billion for fiscal year 2024<\/a>, the most recent year for which figures are available.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAs the newest Associate Commissioner of the NIGC, Kirkland will soon be joining Avery for the next announcement of tribal gross gaming revenues. The figures are typically announced in June or July of each year.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nDespite his new role, Kirkland does not have direct experience in the gaming industry. But the issue came up during his nomination hearing to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on July 17, 2025<\/a> — due to his past as a politically connected figure in his home state of Georgia.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nDuring the hearing, Kirkland confirmed that he worked for a religious-based organization called Faith and Freedom Coalition<\/a> that had opposed tribal casinos, only for its founder and leader Ralph Reed<\/a> to have been exposed as accepting money from Jack Abramoff<\/a>, a Republican lobbyist who made tens of millions of dollars from tribes with casinos and later went to federal prison for bilking his tribal clients. \r\n

<\/p>\r\n“When I worked for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, we focused on working with and educating voters on matters of faith that were important to the faith-based community,” Kirkland said in response to questions from Sen. Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n<\/a> (D-New Mexico), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“I never met Jack Abramoff or conducted any business with him,” Kirkland asserted. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nReed was never charged in connection with the Abramoff scandal, which resulted in nearly a dozen U.S. government officials — including a Republican member of Congress<\/a> — going to prison for their role in scamming tribes. Kirkland, however, appeared to distance himself from his former colleague despite both being well connected political figures in Georgia.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“Why did I choose to work for Ralph Reed? I worked for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, of which he happened to be the chairperson at the time,” Kirkland told Luj\u00e1n.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“You didn\u2019t work for Ralph?” Luj\u00e1n inquired.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“I worked for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, sir,” said Kirkland.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWhen reminded by Luj\u00e1n about Abramoff’s role in cheating tribes out of tens of millions of dollars through a scheme that benefited Reed financially, Kirkland responded: “I don\u2019t think it is okay to defraud anyone. I have never met Jack Abramoff.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\nMore recently, Luj\u00e1n pressed Kirkland about his pending appointment to the NIGC. At an oversight hearing on May 10, Kirkland said it was critical for the agency to gain new leadership to address the absence of a chair<\/a>.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“I think it’s fair to say, sir, that we had an unprecedented resignation that has put a lot of tribes and tribal economies and economic development at risk, and we wanna make sure that gap is filled as possible,” Kirkland told Luj\u00e1n at the hearing.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nA month prior, Jeannie Hovland, a citizen of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, resigned from the NIGC after serving for more than five years<\/a>. Her departure left the agency with just Avery on board — potentially hindering some of the NIGC’s operations that are dictated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act<\/a> (IGRA).\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We wanna make sure that the duties that the [commission] is responsible for can take place,” Kirkland said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“In the meantime, I will ensure that things like contracts can be put in place, management contracts, and other other operations of the [commission] can fully operate,” added Kirkland, describing some of the duties laid out by IGRA, a federal law that was first enacted in 1988.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nDespite the urgency, Luj\u00e1n wasn’t completely convinced of the need for Kirkland to serve two jobs in the administration of President Donald Trump, a Republican. He asked the Assistant Secretary to submit a letter explaining how he will handle his duties at the NIGC in addition to those at the Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a>, the Bureau of Indian Education<\/a> and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nLuj\u00e1n also noted that tribes have been at odds with the Trump administration over the regulation of businesses known as prediction markets<\/a>. Tribes with federally-approved gaming compacts have filed lawsuits in multiple states — including New Mexico<\/a> — to ensure their sovereign rights are protected.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“One of the concerns that I have is, on one side, your responsibilities are to advocate for the tribes, and on the other hand, this administration has taken a different position on prediction markets,” Luj\u00e1n said of Trump’s lax views towards such businesses, some of which have financial ties to members of his family.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“The tribes have been suing, man,” Luj\u00e1n told Kirkland. “You’re at odds here. I don’t know how you’re gonna do it.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe NIGC consists of three members: the chair and two associate commissioners. As dictated by IGRA<\/a>, only the chair position requires nomination by the president and confirmation by the Senate. The other two associate commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAccording to IGRA, “at least” two members of the NIGC “shall be enrolled members of any Indian tribe.” Kirkland and Avery are enrolled citizens of their respective tribes.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAfter Simermeyer’s departure as the chair of NIGC in 2024, then-president Biden nominated Patrice H. Kunesh to lead the agency<\/a>. Despite being approved by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs<\/a>, she was never brought up for a confirmation vote by the Republican-controlled Senate following the November presidential election that year.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nKunesh’s nomination, incidentally, was opposed by then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He has since left the Senate to join President Trump’s cabinet — he is now serving as Secretary of Homeland Security and is the first Native person to lead the Department of Homeland Security.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Related Stories<\/div>
Press Release: Billy Kirkland joins National Indian Gaming Commission<\/a> (June 1, 2026)<\/div>\r\n
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds business meeting and budget hearing<\/a> (May 20, 2026)<\/div>
Testimony: William \u201cBilly\u201d Kirkland of Department of the Interior<\/a> (May 20, 2026)<\/div>\r\n
Bureau of Indian Affairs considers first Tribal Energy Resource Agreement<\/a> (February 18, 2026)<\/div>
\u2018It\u2019s bull****\u2019: Indian Country confronts challenges at largest inter-tribal conference<\/a> (November 18, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
VIDEO: Business Meeting to consider the Nomination of Mr. William Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior<\/a> (September 12, 2025)<\/div>
AUDIO: Business Meeting to consider the Nomination of Mr. William Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior<\/a> (September 11, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
\u2018We\u2019re frustrated\u2019: Lawmakers press Indian affairs nominee on key issues<\/a> (July 21, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
AUDIO: Confirmation hearing for William \u201cBilly\u201d Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs<\/a> (July 21, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
VIDEO: Confirmation hearing for William \u201cBilly\u201d Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs<\/a> (July 21, 2025)<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Statement: William \u201cBilly\u201d Kirkland nomination hearing as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs<\/a> (July 16, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
Citizen of Navajo Nation tapped for Indian Affairs post<\/a> (February 4, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
\u2018A lot of big plans\u2019: Tribal leaders ready to get to work with new presidential administration<\/a> (January 20, 2025)<\/div>\r\n
Republican ally of Donald Trump opposes pick for Indian gaming agency<\/a> (November 21, 2024)<\/div>
National Indian Gaming Commission enters new era under President Biden<\/a> (September 17, 2024)<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Trump administration\u2019s highest-ranking Indian Country official is serving double duty with a new appointment at the federal agency overseeing the $43.9 billion tribal gaming industry.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":573239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-571637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02\/BillyKirkland.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-2oHX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=571637"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":573244,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/571637\/revisions\/573244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=571637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=571637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=571637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}